miamivicefandomcom-20200223-history
Forgive Us Our Debts
"Forgive Us Our Debts" is the eleventh episode of Miami Vice's third season. The episode premiered on December 12, 1986. Summary New evidence in the case against a convicted murderer that Crockett helped put on Death Row may exonerate him, but an election-aware D.A. doesn't want to cooperate. Plot In 1980, Crockett drops off his then-partner Frankel at his house, ready to bust a suspect named Frank Hackman (Guy Boyd). Later that night, he is blown away by a masked man in front of his wife and children. In 1986, Crockett is on the St. Vitus Dance with a girl named Donna, watching an electoral debate for Attorney General between Thomas Waldman (D.W. Moffett), who is in favor of the the death penalty, Police Chief Walter Davis, who favors public executions, and Michael Clayborn, an ACLU attorney who is against the death penalty. Then they speak with Hackman who is in favor of his execution, calling it "God's will", and wants his death to count for something. Crockett and Tubbs are having breakfast when Castillo stops by and wants Crockett to see Father LaFrano (Lazaro Perez) from St. Ives Church about new information in the Hackman case. LaFranco says a parishioner confessed to being with Hackman in Daytona on the night of the murder, is afraid an innocent man will be executed, claims the person came forward because they are dying and cannot live with their conscience any longer, but refuses to disclose the name of the person providing the information. Crockett is highly and understandably skeptical, especially when the Father says that the person feared for their and their family's life if they went to the police. Crockett explains how Hackman got on Death Row, a case involving an armored car hit in 1979, Frankel went under and had a deal set up with Hackman, but his cover was blown, and Frankel was killed. Crockett and Tubbs go to see Waldman and disclose what Castillo and the Father have told them. Waldman is satisfied of Hackman's guilt, even though most of the evidence was circumstantial, and his friend Albierro testified to Hackman's intent, and does not want the case reopened, especially with an election coming up. Castillo wants round-the-clock surveillance of the church to see if any of Hackman's gang is involved, and hands Crockett a note to see Hackman in Raiford prison, though Crockett wants no part of it. Hackman told Crockett he doesn't hold him accountable for his death, that he's found God, and killed other people, but not Frankel, and maybe he's being put to death for the other ones he has killed, and Crockett leaves. Gina, dressed as a nun, tracks cars going into St. Ives and relays plate numbers to Switek and Zito. Trudy takes pictures of the people inside the church. Using face recognition technology, they find the confessor to be Gus Albierro (Val Bisgolio), a man with a very long rap sheet, with at least fourteen ties to Hackman. Crockett and Tubbs speak with Albierro, who testified to Hackman's intent, but not that he actually saw him kill Frankel. Gus insists he and Hackman were in Daytona the night of the murder, and he's recanting his testimony because he's dying of pancreatic cancer. Waltman refuses to reopen the case unless Crockett and Tubbs can locate two corroborating witnesses to Albierro's story. Albierro tells Crockett and Tubbs to go see Tommy Barkley, he tells Crockett and Tubbs that he disappeared around the time of the trial and couldn't testify. Trudy determines Barkley died in a prison riot in 1983. Albierro's wife Carmen (Olga Karlatos) left him and took the children over a picture he received, then a woman shows up and kills Albierro with three shots. Homicide shows no witnesses and his wife is clear. They find a picture that they take to Carmen who ID's the woman as his ex-wife Felicia (Gy Mirano) (who Hackman had a fling with that caused their divorce) that she tried to keep Albierro away from her. At OCB, they determine the picture was sent from Stuart, Switek directs them to the Venus Clam Trap restaurant (the place where the picture was taken). Crockett and Tubbs stop by to see Waldman who continues to resist any efforts to reopen the case because the detectives have nothing new. In Stuart, Crockett decides to wait until the place closes up before asking Felicia, but she makes a call to someone named MacGruder, when the place closes FBI agents show up, and escort Felicia and a very much alive Tommy Barkley (Bill Raymond) into a car. Castillo reveals Barkley is in the Witness Protection Program and his death in prison was faked. He is a prized FBI informer bringing down networks, money launderers, etc. Castillo will get them Barkley's address. Hackman gives a guard his watch after getting his last request as his execution time approaches, and he is prepped for the chair. Crockett and Tubbs visit Barkley's house, but have weapons drawn by both him and Felicia. After IDing themselves as cops. Crockett takes Barkley for a walk, then he proceeds to knock Barkley around, throw him in a pool, put his head underwater and threaten to call Chicago and expose him if he doesn't tell Crockett who killed Frankel. Barkley says a man named DeSantis killed Frankel, that everyone knew he was a cop and a lot of people wanted Frankel hit, and corroborates the story that he and Hackman were with Albierro in Daytona and Felicia is the reason he didn't testify. Crockett takes his boat to a marina where the Governor is and lets him know about the depositions to exonerate Hackman. Over protests from Waldman, the governor pardons Hackman, which damages Waldman's re-election chances. Hackman is released from prison and Crockett meets him. Hackman tells Crockett he knew he would do his job, then Barkley and Felicia drive up to pick Hackman up, Hackman admits to buying Albierro's confession because Albierro wanted his family cared for, and admits that he did kill Frankel, meaning Crockett got a guilty man off Death Row. He gives Crockett the cross he wore in prison, and leaves with Barkley and Felicia. Cast *Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett *Philip Michael Thomas as Metro-Dade Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs *Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese *Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek *John Diehl as Metro-Dade Detective Larry Zito *Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin *Edward James Olmos as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo Guest Stars *Guy Boyd as Frank Hackman *Bill Raymond as Tommy Barkley *D.W. Moffett as Attorney General Thomas Waldman *Olga Karlatos as Carmen Albierro *Lazaro Perez as Father LaFrano *Gy Mirano as Felicia *Val Bisoglio as Gus Aibierro Co-Starring *Steve Geng as Bierce *Teresa Blake as Donna *Luke Halpin as Metro-Dade Detective Frankel (uncredited) *Donna Rice as Mrs. Frankel (uncredited) "Ripped From The Headlines" In this episode, the possibility of new evidence exonerating an executed (or near-executed) criminal is explored, which was a major news story then and now, as the debate over the death penalty continues. Notes * Crockett will live to regret his actions in the Season 4 episode Deliver Us From Evil, which takes place two years after this episode concludes. * During the opening flashback sequence to 1980, Crockett is wearing a ballcap to hide his 1986 spiked haircut. * Normally, a Death Row inmate takes over ten years to execute with all the appeals open to them. In this episode, assuming the trial and conviction took place in 1980, it took only six years to get Hackman to the death chamber. * "Forgive us our debts" is a passage in The Lord's Prayer (though some religions interpret this portion as "Forgive us our trespasses".) * Face-recognition technology has come a long way from faxing photos and getting a report printed on a dot matrix printer, as was the case in 1986. * Val Bisgolio played the bar owner Danny in the medical/police drama Quincy, M.E. from 1976-1983. * In a touch of continuity, Frankel and his wife mention Sonny and Caroline Crockett were still married and their son Billy was just a baby then that needed a sitter. * Donna Rice (in an uncredited role) played Frankel's wife in the opening, the episode aired four months before the scandal involving her and presidential hopeful Gary Hart broke, and was rerun after the scandal made front-page headlines. * Florida gives Death Row inmates the choice to die by lethal injection (the preferred method) or the electric chair. * Michael Mann's Robbery Homicide Division series had an episode called "Had" with a plot similar to this one. * Gustave Reininger co-created the series Crime Story that Michael Mann produced from 1986-88. Music *"We Do What We're Told" by Peter Gabriel (Crockett drives to prison to meet Hackman and end sequence when Hackman leaves prison) *"Morir Son Ando" by Fernando Villalona (In auto shop with Albierro) *"Standing On The Outside" by Meat Loaf (Aliberro is killed and Hackman's last request) Quotes *"Nothing that 20,000 volts won't cure!" -- Crockett to Donna when she asked him what was wrong after seeing Hackman on TV *"He's got a sheet as long as my arm!" -- Switek after getting the printout on Albierro's picture *"If you reopen this, and we don't have enough evidence to reconvict, that maggot's gonna walk, and that will be on your heads!" -- Waldman to Crockett and Tubbs (a rather prophetic statement) *"You're a politician, a conscience is optional!" -- Crockett to Waltman Category:Miami Vice Season 3 Episodes